| Wednesday, May 27, 2015 |
| Boys State Spending Week On Mississippi State's Campus | |
 | For the rest of this week, almost 400 teenage boys from across Mississippi are on the Mississippi State University campus in Starkville learning how state and local government works. Students of the American Legions' Boys State are also getting a handle on the electoral process to become future political leaders of the state. Gov. Phil Bryant thinks Mississippi is a wonderful state to live and serve. "These young men can make a huge difference in Mississippi if we can just get them to grow where they are planted," Bryant said. |
| Boys State: Future leaders in one room at Mississippi State | |
 | These are quite possibly the future leaders of Mississippi and well beyond. "It's a different experience them coming and giving leadership advice that could help me out in the future," said Jason Rakestraw. The future could include a career in politics for any one of the more than 300 of these high achievers from across the state. "We have several young men who use this program as a springboard or launch pad," said Mississippi Boys State Director Britton Smith. These high school seniors will spend the week at Mississippi State University delving into the political process in every way possible. |
| FAA selects Mississippi State team as Center of Excellence for UAS | |
 | After a rigorous competition, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected a Mississippi State University team as the FAA's Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (COE UAS). The COE will focus on research, education and training in areas critical to safe and successful integration of UAS into the nation's airspace. "This world-class, public-private partnership will help us focus on the challenges and opportunities of this cutting-edge technology," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "We expect this team will help us to educate and train a cadre of unmanned aircraft professionals well into the future." |
| Mississippi State and Loyola Students Present First 'Exchange' Exhibition | |
| Works of more than 30 current and just-graduated fine arts majors at Mississippi State University are on display through September in New Orleans. The exhibit at Loyola University's Collins C. Diboll Art Gallery is part of a first-ever "Exchange" project in which works by graduating seniors in the private Louisiana institution's fine arts program are being displayed through July 24 at MSU's Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery. Loyola visual arts professor Mark Grote proposed the interchange after viewing samples of MSU student-produced work online, according to Lori Neuenfeldt. Part of the College of Architecture, Art and Design, MSU's art department is home to the Magnolia State's largest undergraduate studio art program. |
| PHOTO: MSU-Meridian intern awards | |
 | Toni Dikes of Quitman, Bethany Smith of Enterprise, Winnie Curtis of Meridian and Jenae Hardy of Natchez (not pictured) were recently recognized with Outstanding Teacher Intern Awards at MSU-Meridian. The four interns received the recognition based on their resourcefulness, initiative and effectiveness throughout their teacher internship during the 2015 spring semester at MSU-Meridian. |
| MSU Extension Service, Lincoln County Public Library offer tech program | |
 | The Mississippi State University Extension Service in Lincoln County and the Lincoln County Public Library recently formed a partnership to launch the Master Technology Innovator Program. This program places volunteers in local community anchor institutions, such as the local library, to help with technology needs, education and awareness. "MTI was created as a response to needs public libraries and other community anchor institutions had expressed while partnering with Extension in technology-related projects," said Roberto Gallardo, associate Extension professor and MTI program developer. |
| Pearl River Resort executive, MSU alum receives top honor from MBJ | |
| Erica Clemons Moore has been listed among Mississippi Business Journal's Top 50 Under 40, Pearl River Resort announced this week. Mississippi's prestigious awards program recognizes the state's emerging business leaders under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to Mississippi's overall economic progress, often working at their own local levels. Moore has over 10 years of progressive experience in marketing, public relations and event budgeting and planning. She was promoted to Director of Public Relations, Internal Communications and Special Projects in 2014. Moore holds a bachelor's degree in Communication and Public Relations from Mississippi State University. |
| Investigators say extension cord caused Cappe's fire | |
 | Starkville Fire Department officials say a malfunctioning extension cord in Cappe's Steakhouse caused a May 16 fire. Both SFD Chief Charles Yarbrough and Fire Marshal Stein McMullen confirmed the suspected cause last week. McMullen said investigators discovered the damaged device that "apparently arced and started the fire." Operators of the restaurant's social media accounts posted updates saying the steakhouse will not "be open for business at this time." Owners confirmed they are waiting to hear from insurance adjusters before determining when the restaurant will reopen. |
| Mississippi leads nation in spice overdoses | |
 | Mississippi is leading the nation in reported spice overdoses, almost three to one. To date, Mississippi has had 1,253 reported cased of spice overdoses in 2015. In April and May alone, Mississippi had 1,204 reported cases of spice overdoses, according to the Mississippi Department of Health. "We've never seen anything like this," Dr. Robert Cox, medical director for the Mississippi Poison Control Center said Tuesday. "We actually medically know more about those pesticides on the shelf at Wal-Mart and Home Depot than we do about these chemicals." Spice, commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana, contains cannabimimetic chemicals that can cause psychotic episodes and seizures. "We're not talking about one chemical," Cox said. "There could be any one of 20 different chemicals. This is not pharmaceutical grade anything." |
| Mississippi Development Authority heading to Europe with businesses | |
| Representatives from Mississippi Development Authority will lead a delegation of Mississippi companies on a business development mission to Central Europe Aug. 31 through Sept. 4. Designed to connect Mississippi businesses that want to expand trade and create new business relationships with qualified buyers in Poland and the Czech Republic, the mission may include an additional stop in a third country, depending on a company's potential in that market. The trip will be a multi-industry mission with prospects in the fields of information technology, electrical power systems, green building products and technologies, telecommunications, aerospace, automotive, transportation infrastructure, agricultural equipment, and medical equipment. |
| Neshoba County Fairgrounds busy Memorial Day weekend | |
| Though the Neshoba County Fair is nearly two months away, the fairgrounds were abuzz over the long Memorial Day weekend with people cleaning cabins and making repairs in anticipation of Mississippi's Giant Houseparty in July. Two weeks after the lights have been turned back on, many families were doing the yearly airing out of their cabins on Friday morning in anticipation of seeing friends and neighbors over the holiday weekend. Doug Johnson, head of maintenance for the Fair, said they are expecting to do some work on the exhibit hall and barns before the Fair starts. He expects four or five cabins to be completed with major renovations before the Fair starts on July 24. |
| Notorious #MSSEN blogger Johnson banned from Twitter | |
| Looks like California blogger Charles C. Johnson -- who made news in the nasty battle between U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and Chris McDaniel last year -- has been banned from Twitter for good. Johnson, described by McDaniel as an "investigative journalist," and by The Washington Post as a "far-right mega-troll," had his Twitter account permanently suspended on Sunday after he asked for donations to help "take out" activist DeRay McKesson, who's been involved with protests after police shootings in Baltimore and Missouri. Several media outlets report that subsequent new Twitter accounts Johnson tried to open were also suspended. |
| Pickering's chief of staff leaving to join Cochran's team | |
 | State Auditor Stacey Pickering's chief of staff is leaving to head Sen. Thad Cochran's field office, the senator said in a press release Tuesday. Brad White's new job includes running the Jackson field office's constituent outreach and services. White, a native of Simpson County, will begin duties as Cochran's state office director on June 1, replacing long-time Cochran aide Brad Davis, who is joining the private sector, the release said. "My field offices do very good work helping Mississippians, and Brad White will be taking on important responsibilities for my offices throughout the state, including leading our efforts in Mississippi's most populous and diverse regions. I think his work record will serve him well in this capacity," Cochran said. White has been deputy state auditor and chief of staff for Pickering's office since 2013. |
| Appeals Court Keeps Block of Obama Immigration Plan | |
 | A federal appeals court on Tuesday declined to let the Obama administration proceed with its plan to defer deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants. Siding with officials in Texas and 25 other states who have challenged the legality of President Barack Obama's immigration action, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans rejected the administration's request to allow the federal government to begin implementing the plan while the two sides continue a court battle. The White House condemned the appeal court's ruling, repeating its position that the president was within his authority and noting that 15 other largely Democratic states, along with the District of Columbia, have sided with the administration in the case. |
| Will president's use of new media further polarize politics? | |
 | The gathering in Beverly Hills in early April had all the elements of a Hollywood pitch meeting: influential celebrities, powerful agents, marketing moguls and social media strategists. The only hint of difference was the presence of a lone government official: Paulette Aniskoff, head of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Aniskoff had journeyed from Washington to the offices of the entertainment company Live Nation for a strategy session on how YouTube and Vine stars could use their digital celebrity to promote some of the Obama administration's key policies. The meeting, which ran twice as long as the hour allotted, in many ways exemplifies how central digital media and audience engagement have become to the functioning of the Obama White House. |
| Proposed Medical-Research Law Raises Safety Concerns | |
| A bipartisan House bill aimed at boosting U.S. medical-research funding is drawing scrutiny over provisions that would relax some regulations on drug and device safety. The legislation, known as the 21st Century Cures Act, passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously last week and is likely headed toward a full House vote next month. It would boost funding for the National Institutes of Health by $10 billion over five years, some of which would go to an Obama administration initiative that would, among other things, create an enormous database of genomic information obtained from one million U.S. patients who volunteer to participate. Public-safety advocates, though, say other sections of the bill are too generous to industry. |
| Building a future at Southern Miss | |
 | Katherine Nugent, dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Southern Mississippi, says there's a number of reasons why the college needs to move into its as yet unfinished new home in Asbury Hall --- about 1,450 of them. That's how many students are currently crammed into Harkins Hall, which was built around 1975. Those cramped quarters lead to several problems, Nugent said. For instance, when students meet with their advisers. "If you were getting advisement from me, you'd be able to hear the student in the next room," she said. Asbury Hall is just one of a number of improvements Southern Miss officials are making to campus. The list starts with Asbury Hall and a new home for the College of Business, and goes all the way to new synthetic turf on Pride Field. |
| USM interim VP Steve Miller appointed to lead Gulf Park campus | |
| Forgoing a national search, University of Southern Mississippi officials announced Tuesday that Steve Miller, the Gulf Park campus' interim vice president, would fill the position permanently. Miller has served in an interim capacity for 12 months. University President Rodney Bennett, when announcing the appointment, ran down a list of his accomplishments. "When this position first became available last year, I had every intention of conducting a national search," he said. "However, over the past 12 months as I worked with Dr. Miller in an interim capacity, it just became clear to me that with his work ethic, with his communication skills and with his ability to develop and maintain effective relationships across departments here at the Gulf Park campus and in Hattiesburg, that Steve Miller was the right person for this position." |
| Southern Miss College of Arts and Letters names interim dean | |
| Maureen Ryan has been named interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters at The University of Southern Mississippi. She will serve in the absence of Steven Moser, who was recently named interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Ryan has a long and impressive record of service to the University. She joined the faculty at Southern Miss in 1983 as assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Lab. Ryan has served in the Department of English as director of Undergraduate Studies and director of Graduate Studies. She served the College of Liberal Arts as assistant dean (1989-1991), before becoming dean of the Honors College (1991-2002); she was also associate provost for Institutional Effectiveness (2002-2003) and interim dean of the Graduate School (2014). |
| Southern Miss Staff Members Take Home Top Awards at College Public Relations Conference | |
 | Several University of Southern Mississippi staff members were honored for their work at the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi conference held May 18-19 in Tupelo. The CPRAM awards recognizes exceptional work by communications, marketing and public relations professionals at colleges and universities across the state of Mississippi. Southern Miss took home a total of 13 awards in the senior division of the competition, which is open to all of the state's four-year universities and colleges. "These awards acknowledge the high-caliber work being done by USM staff members across a variety of communication platforms," said Jim Coll, chief communication officer. |
| Mississippi College denies vet was suspended over counselor, combat status | |
| Exactly what happened is not clear, but Mississippi College "firmly" denies accusations that a student was suspended and deemed a threat because of his status as a combat veteran or his request for a different counselor. Campus Reform, a web-based news site, posted a story Monday on the suspension of Marine combat veteran and Mississippi College senior Jeremy Rawls. Officials at MC, a Christian college, had a response posted on their website by lunchtime on Tuesday. "Due to federal educational privacy regulations, we are unable to release specific information related to students. But we want to clarify that Rawls was not suspended for the reasons the story revealed," the statement read. "MC would never intentionally place a student in a situation creating the sort of discomfort Rawls experienced," President Lee Royce said. |
| New National Water Center at U. of Alabama is first to study threats to and from water | |
 | The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officially opened its National Water Center on Tuesday at the University of Alabama. The center is the first facility in the United States dedicated to improving the nation's ability to manage threats to its water resources and mitigate the impact such threats pose to communities. UA Interim Provost Joe Benson said the computer-based, state-of-the-art facility, which cost about $25 million and would employ about 270 people at full capacity, puts Tuscaloosa at the focal point of water research. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said the center will be an asset to the nation, giving water intelligence the attention it needs. |
| U. of Alabama Early College to offer high school students college credits | |
| The University of Alabama Early College is offering a class in June to help prepare high school students take advantage of opportunities to earn college credit this fall under a new state policy. UA Early College has scheduled a special Gateway class beginning June 16. The registration deadline is June 2. Under a new statewide policy allowing high school students to simultaneously obtain high school and college credit, the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education has partnered with the Early College to allow rising 10th-grade students to earn dual credit by taking online courses. |
| Auburn University lab tech arrested for sale, distribution of date rape drug GHB | |
 | An Auburn man employed as a chemistry lab technician at Auburn University was arrested Friday and is facing federal charges for the sale and possession of at least three gallons of the date rape drug GHB, concluding a nearly six-month investigation conducted by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. At a press conference Tuesday at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montgomery, law enforcement officials announced that Stephen K. Howard, 64, was arrested following two search warrants carried out Friday -- one at Howard's home adjacent to Auburn city limits and the other at Howard's office on the Auburn University campus. He was arrested later that day at his residence on three charges, including possession with intent to distribute the date rape drug GHB, conspiracy to possess and distribute GHB, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug transaction. |
| U. of Florida online program struggles to gain acceptance | |
 | Fewer than 10 percent of 3,118 high school students invited to sign up for a new online program after their applications were rejected for regular admission to the University of Florida have accepted the offer. The 256 students who signed up for the Pathway to Campus Enrollment program will be guaranteed a spot at UF after they complete the minimum requirements: two semesters and at least 15 hours of online course work. "We are really pleased with the results for a couple of reasons," Provost Joe Glover said. "We rolled it out very late, because we were still formulating it up to the last minute and there was not a lot of time to socialize this with the community and explain it." As a result, a lot of students and their parents were confused when they got letters inviting them to PACE, he said. |
| Louisiana House supports bill that could lead to graduate school tuition increases | |
 | The Louisiana House voted in favor of a bill (HB 168) that would make it easier to raise graduate school tuition and fees at public universities, despite rejecting similar proposals last week. Under the legislation, the Louisiana Legislature would turn over control of graduate program tuition and fees to the universities' management boards, though costs could not go up above the national average of peer programs. So, for example, the LSU Board of Supervisors would be able to increase the price of the university's medical school, but not beyond the national average cost of all public medical schools. |
| UGA president Morehead will make 43 percent more under new contract | |
 | University of Georgia President Jere Morehead will get a retroactive pay raise of about $170,000 this fiscal year and a second raise of nearly $74,000 beginning July 1. He plans to give a "significant" portion back to UGA, however, he said. After the two raises, Morehead's pay will be $811,375.68 in the 2016 fiscal year, including deferred compensation of $204,013.83 Even with that 43 percent salary increase over the two fiscal years, Morehead ranks as only the third highest paid public college president in the state after the Board of Regents last week also approved big raises for the presidents of Georgia Tech and Georgia State University. Both Georgia State's Mark Becker and Tech's Bud Peterson will make more than $1 million a year. |
| Georgia education colleges will be measured on how well the teachers they graduate perform | |
| A new evaluation system will, for the first time, measure teacher-prep programs on how well their graduates actually do, which is keeping state regulators and college deans busy preparing for the change. "Up until this new evaluation system, the focus had been on how many hours did you take in this course, what textbooks were used, how many hours you were in the field. It was based on input," said Cindi Chance, dean of the college of education at Georgia Regents University. Under the new approach, half of the annual measure will be based on the test scores of students in the classrooms of each college's graduates. Other factors will be grades teachers get on a video of them in class, tests they take and whether they keep their jobs. |
| Vanderbilt rape victim argues against records release | |
 | The victim in a high-profile rape trial involving four former Vanderbilt University football players has filed another legal brief ahead of a state Supreme Court hearing Thursday, arguing against the release of police records related to the crime. Two former Vanderbilt football players, Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey, were convicted in January on four counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of an unconscious woman in a dorm room. They await sentencing June 15. Two other former players, Brandon Banks and Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie, await trial on similar charges. |
| Deputy Chancellor Michael Middleton announces retirement from U. of Missouri | |
 | Michael Middleton, deputy chancellor since 1998, has announced his retirement, effective Aug. 31. In a letter to deans, directors and other administrators, Middleton said he will stay part time with the University of Missouri to improve inclusion, diversity and equity within campus activities. As deputy chancellor, Middleton assists the chancellor in his day-to-day work, appoints the Campus Climate Task Force and heads the Conflict of Interest Oversight Committee, according to his website. Beyond his daily duties, he works with organizations and committees on campus that are focused on improving gender and race equality, such as the Black Faculty and Staff Organization, Tribute to MU Women and the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center. Middleton enrolled at MU in 1964, amidst the chaos of the civil rights movement. |
| U. of Oklahoma history professors object to joint course with History Channel | |
 | The University of Oklahoma raised some eyebrows last year when it announced it was partnering with the History Channel to offer a new U.S. history survey course. The thrust of the initial interest was the university's decision to pair up with a relatively old-school medium -- cable television -- to offer distance learning in the midst of a digital platform boom. But after a successful first run of the course, another story has yet to be told: that of history faculty members' lingering distaste at what they call being left out of the process and, more generally, at the university partnering with a commercial entity now perhaps better known for reality TV shows than college-level history. |
| School Librarians Push for More 'Maker Spaces' | |
 | "When I go to speak to a group of librarians at a conference, it's standing-room-only to talk about maker spaces," said Kristin Fontichiaro, a clinical assistant professor in the school of information at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a faculty coordinator for the Michigan Makers maker-space project, an after-school program that helps students develop technology skills by tinkering with and creating things. "There is a real hunger; there is a sense that there's something about this that's powerful for them." The term "maker space," Ms. Fontichiaro said, has no single definition. The spaces can be high-tech, low-tech, part of the school curriculum, or part of an after-school program. Some aren't even called maker spaces. The only central theme is that of creation and innovation. Facilitating student creation has been a largely overlooked but increasingly important role for school librarians, according to Leslie Preddy, the president-elect of the Chicago-based American Association of School Librarians. |
| GEOFF PENDER (OPINION): No kumbaya moment in Mississippi education | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "The potential for nearly 15 percent of Mississippi students to repeat the third grade after flunking reading tests has amped up the political, partisan fear and loathing that passes for public education policy debate in this state. It's somber news that more than 5,600 third-graders failed their first try at a reading test required by a new law for promotion to fourth grade. But this didn't bring about any kumbaya moment among state political and education leaders. Heck no. In Mississippi politics, it's not what you do about public education, it's what you say the other guy should have done. Cry havoc, and let slip the press releases." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State generated record profits in 2014 | |
| Mississippi State's athletic department earned a school record in profits in 2014 despite reporting the lowest total revenue among the Southeastern Conference's 13 public institutions according to USA Today. MSU totaled $62,275,111 in revenue in 2014, which ranked 51st in the country. It was about $500,000 less than 2013 when MSU ranked 49th in the country. Despite the low total of revenue, Mississippi State produced $7,886,309 in profit. MSU generated $7,382,026 in 2011, the department's previous record. Only five schools produced higher profits than MSU: Alabama ($33M), Texas A&M ($24M) Florida ($15M), LSU ($11M), and Georgia ($11M). Vanderbilt, a private institution wasn't included in the report. The dropoff from 2013 came as a result of lower student fees and contributions. |
| Thanksgiving Egg Bowl being discussed again | |
 | Could the Battle for the Golden Egg be headed back to Thanksgiving Day? Ole Miss athletics director Ross Bjork, appearing Tuesday on Paul Finebaum's show, said he and his fellow AD, Mississippi States Scott Stricklin, are talking about returning the game to Thanksgiving "on a more regular basis." That move could possibly take place as soon as this fall. The 2013 game was played on Thanksgiving night and pulled in a viewership of about 1.6 million according to a tweet by Bulldog Sports Radio. Last year's game, played on a Saturday, attracted a viewership of about 5.1 million. |
| 'Cost of attendance' mulled at SEC meetings | |
| SEC football coaches would like to see the cost of attendance number the same throughout the league. They're just not sure how to get that done. Coaches across all sports think providing more for athletes is a good thing. As the nation's most successful athletic programs -- the "Power Five" conferences -- work their way through the autonomy granted them by the NCAA, there are some unintended consequences. One is that fact that the cost of attendance upgrade to all scholarships is not equal. That's one of the biggest topics batted around in meeting rooms this week as coaches, administrators and presidents gather for the SEC spring meetings. |
| SEC football still nation's best, coaches insist | |
| After seven straight championships in the late BCS Era, the SEC streak ended when Auburn's comeback against Florida State fell short in 2013. Last year, the first for the college football playoff, the SEC did not have a representative in the final game. Now SEC coaches find themselves defending their claims that the league is the nation's best football conference. "We won the national championship seven years in a row, and the first question we get is asked it, 'What's the state of the SEC?'" Alabama coach Nick Saban said. Those who lead teams through an SEC schedule don't believe the league is in a down cycle. When the first playoff rankings were released the last week of October three of the top four were from the SEC West: Mississippi State, Auburn and Ole Miss. |
| SCOTT RABALAIS (OPINION): Cost of attendance, satellite camps may be issues even mighty SEC can't get to go its way | |
 | The Baton Rouge Advocate's Scott Rabalais writes: "The Southeastern Conference is under siege. Not so much on the playing fields -- like in softball, where five SEC teams will play this week in the Women's College World Series -- or even in football, though it's been going on three years since the league won that national championship. (No truth to the rumor that this crisis is what prompted Commissioner Mike Slive's pending retirement.) These devils are in the details of NCAA rules and legal interpretations. The football and basketball coaches gathered here this week for the annual SEC Spring Meeting may be trying to beat each other's brains out on the gridiron or the court, but for now, they're united in at least two common goals..." |
| JOSH KENDALL (OPINION): Player conduct in college sports should be an SEC focus | |
 | The State's Josh Kendall writes: "Most of the talk [in Destin] this week will be about the SEC following. That's a shame because it's time for college sports' most powerful conference to lead. Instead of fretting about changing the rules so that Penn State coaches won't be able to put the hard sell on a three-star cornerback in Atlanta in the summer, which many of the league's coaches are spending much of their time here doing, the SEC needs to take a strong stand on player conduct in college sports. College football coaches have a responsibility to every student at the school they represent not to do anything that knowingly decreases the safety of those students, and in too many cases they are not taking that responsibility seriously enough." |
| Southern Miss A.D.: Berry will get contract extension | |
| Scott Berry, whose contract is set to expire on June 30 after six seasons as Southern Miss head baseball coach, will receive an extension, according to athletic director Bill McGillis. "It will definitely be extended, and I'm looking forward to his continued leadership," McGillis said, adding the length of the extension has not been determined. "The season just ended (Monday) with a lot of disappointment obviously. (We) will get to the details over the course of the summer." The Golden Eagles' season officially ended Monday when the team was left out of the NCAA Tournament following a 36-18-1 campaign in which the team finished tied for second place in Conference USA. Berry's career record as head coach at Southern Miss is 208-137-1 in six seasons. News of McGillis' intention to extend Berry's contract was met with mixed reactions, especially on social media. |
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